Spring shade-roller.



' H. E. HAWKS.

SPRING SHADE ROLLER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 12, 1912.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 120.. WASHINGTON. D, c.

HERBERT E. I-IAWES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING SHADE-ROLLER.

Application filed March 12, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT E. HAwns, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn borough, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring bade-Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring shade rollers, and has for its object, the automatic stoppage of the rotation of the roller, when a desired amount of the shade has been rolled up, or when the shade slips from the hand and winds fully up; thus the usual fault, of winding aroundthe roller and losing the tension of the spring is avoided, also the inconvenience of taking the roller from its brackets and re-tensioning the spring. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference symbols refer to like parts in all the views.

The fault with ordinary spring rollers is that if the cord, by which the shade is pulled down, breaks or slips from the hand, the shade runs to the top of the window, and the roller continues revolving until the tension of the spring is lost, and will not raise the shade; necessitating taking the roller down, re-tensioning the spring, and replacing the roller, which is seldom done properly by the layman. All this is obviated by my invention; in which an internally threaded nut is slidably-mounted in the roller upon a threaded member rigidly attached to the core, and is moved, by the rotation of the roller, progressively along said threaded member, one thread to each revolution of the roller. IVhen near the end of its travel along said threaded portion, said threaded member abuts against a cushioning or buffer spring, thus, gradually but surely stopping the rotation of the roller, and avoiding the consequent losing of the spring tension; the roller, core, and spring forming-a self-contained unit.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of parts of a shade roller, embodying my invention, shown partly in section. F ig- 2 is a cross-section of same, through line a2m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of same, partly in section, showing one guide slot in member 11. Fig. 4 is an end View, in section, through line g y, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1, is a cylindrical spring- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5,1913.

Serial No. 683,226.

actuated roller, about which the shade is rolled; 2, is the spring-core about which the spiral actuating-spring is coiled; 2, is the corepivot having a flattened end, engaging with a wall bracket, and supports one end of the roller; 3, is a coiled spiral spring, one end of which connects with the core, and the other with the roller or a part connected to the roller, and imparts motion to the same, at certain times; 4, is a ratchet wheel. rigidly mounted on member 2; 5, is a pawl-carrying disk, encircling member 2, and fastened to the end of the roller and having pawls 6, oppositely pivoted thereon, and engaging ratchet 4, in the well-known manner; 7, is a threaded control-member which governs the number of revolutions of member 1, required to roll up the shade; and cooperates to stop the same; said member is mounted near the end of member 2, and rigidly fastened thereto; 8, is an internally-threaded nut, cooperating with member 7, and adapted to travel endwise of the same to govern the desired number of turns to roll up the shade, and is provided with two lugs ,or wings 9, which engage in slots 10 in an encircling member or tube 11, mounted in the spring cavity of the roller, and rigidly fastened thereto; 12, is a buffer spring, interposed between members 5 and 8, and serves to lessen the shock of the stoppage of the roller, coincident with the arrival of member 8, at the end of its travel along member 7 during the rolling-up action; as the violent contact of said members would result in a wedging or sticking action between the same, thereby destroying the smooth and even operation of the roller. This member serves also the purpose of preventing the shade from overrunning, and preserves the closely wound condition of the shade, which otherwise is apt to jam against the window or casing, which might result in tearing the same, or interfere with the drawing down action. A piece of felt or rubber would serve the same purpose as the spring, but the action would be rougher and more sudden. Member 7, might be formed integrally with core 2, but I prefer to make the same separate and mount as shown.

The threaded nut 8, has, preferably, a length of two or three diameters to insure straight travel upon member 7, and large wearing surface; a square faced thread, as shown, gives a better wearing surface than an angular-sided thread. The projecting lugs 9, engage in slots 10, in member 11, fastened in the end of roller 1, and cause rotation of member 8, about the stationary threaded member 7, when the roller is released from its retaining ratchet t, and along which threaded member it travels, until it engages buffer-spring 12, at the end of the rolling-up movement.

Member 11, is a metal tube With a flanged head, for securing the same to the roller, and is inserted in the spring cavity of the same, and is provided with longitudinal opposite slots 10, for the reception of lugs 9, and is held in the roller, by being pressed into the end of the spring cavity thereof, and is held by the nails or pins 17, used to fasten disk 5 to the roller; said pins passing through both members, and clamping the same integrally to the roller.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, 1 form slots 10 with one closed end, as shown, the flanged head of the same, being slotted to allow for passage of lugs 9, in assembling. At the end of the unrolling movement, or pulling the shade down, lugs 9 abut against the closed ends of the slots, forming a limiting stop for the unro-lling movement, avoiding unduly straining or breaking the coiled spring; also preserving the initial tension of the same, and avoiding tearing the same from its fastening with the roller. This construction causes nut 8 to rotate about member 7, which is held from revolving by the flattened end 13 of 2 engaging a slot in the wall-bracket 14, during the rolling-up and unrolling action of the shade, lugs 9, meanwhile, traveling longitudinally in slots 10. The buffenspring 12, is formed with a right hand spiral, and member 7, with a left hand thread to insure a smooth engagement between the two parts. Said buffer-spring surrounds the core at the outer end of the roller cavity and is retained therein by the pawl-disk, which has an opening therein for the passage of the core, and operates as a shoulder for said spring; said disk is rig idly fastened to the roller and is referred to as a shoulder in the claims. Core 2 is provided with an inserted pivot stud 2, having a flattened end 13, and member 1 is rigidly mounted thereon. Said pivot is pressed into the end of core 2, and held therein, by a pin 18, which passes through members 7, 2,

and 2, locking the several parts together. The opposite end of roller 1, has a central cylindrical pivot 15 inserted therein, engaging with a wall bracket 15, having a cylindrical hole allowing the free rotation of said pivot therein; the roller being supported by the two pivots and brackets, in the well known manner.

No special skill or directions are needed to operate a roller having my limiting device applied thereto; the same being properly assembled, with the spiral spring adjusted to a sufficient tension to produce the required rotation of the roller. When once assembled and properly adjusted the spring cannot lose its tension, or the roller overrun, and much annoyance is avoided; the operation being the same as ordinary rollers, at all points within the scope of the roller action.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown herein, for various modifications mav be made in the form and detail of the parts, without departing from my invention, by one skilled in the art.

iVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spring shade-roller, the combination with the roller and its actuating spring and having a predetermining stop for limiting the revolutions thereof, of means for gradually and progressively bringing the same to a full stop at the end of the rolling up movement to avoid overrunning and unwinding of the shade on the roller and to preserve a normal closely-wound condition thereof.

2. In a spring-shade-roller, the combination with the roller and its actuating-spring, a predetermining stop therefor, means for progressively bringing the roller to rest during its rolling up movement, of means for limiting the revolutions of said roll-er during the unrolling movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of March 1912.

HERBERT E. HAXVES. lVitnesses:

E. SPRINGS, HENRY SOHENK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

